Stability of (1(1)over-bar-00) m-plane GaN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We show the stability of planar nonpolar (1 (1) over bar 00) m-plane GaN thin films grown on m-plane 6H-SiC substrates using an AlN nucleation layer (NL) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The stability of the m-plane GaN films was studied for a wide range of growth variables including reactor pressure, temperature, and group III and V flow rates. The surface morphology and crystal quality of the m-plane GaN films were less sensitive to changes in these growth variables than those of nonpolar (11 (2) over bar0) a-plane heteroepitaxial planar GaN films. The threading dislocation density of m-GaN on m-plane 6H-SiC was one order of magnitude lower than that of a-GaN on a-plane 6H-SiC